I'm alive
by Lady Pyra1
Summary: Wally and Artemis visit Paula Crock to tell her about Artemis's fake death. Post-Summit; Spitfire


**Last week's episode inspired me to write this. It sadness that YJ and GLTAS is going to end after next week D: ANYWHOO ENJOY!**

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Silent.

It was silent as Wally and I stood outside apartment 106 C in the rundown Gotham Apartment. The paint was no longer peeling, it was now completely gone and left a nasty nasty brown color. The once gold numbers "106" were now tarnished and the "C" was hanging on to dear as it hung from it's last hinge.

"Knock." he says while elbowing me softly. "You knock." I retort in a harsh whisper. The redhead only smiles and grabs my hand interlocking his finger with mine. His warm palm squeezes mine and that alone tells me that he knows I'm scared and that he's there for me. It's the same action he used when we we're in Bludhaven and I was about to go undercover.

I took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door.

"What kind of knock is that? _I_ could barely hear it." Wally says jokingly. Even though I couldn't help but laugh I still punched him on the shoulder.

Then silence spread through the empty hallway.

_RRRUMM RUM RUM RUM RUM!_

Well the silence is gone since the old air conditioner decided to turn on. "Who is it?" the voice called. I looked frantically at Wally and surprisingly he knew his line.

"It's me Mrs. Crock." he answered. "Oh Wally come in!" she answered. He turned the knob and entered. The house was filled with subtle aromas. The apartment looked the same except for the added pictures of Jade and I as children. Some pictures I didn't even think she owned anymore.

The most recent picture is of Wally and I at my high school graduation. I had a dark sapphire blue cap and gown on. My hair was long and curled courtesy of Zatanna, Raquel and M'gann (who basically had to tie me down). And Wally had quickly kissed me when the camera flash went off, even though I insisted that he didn't because it would look too cliche.

"What brings you hear so late? Did you know I was going to make my honey and ginger glazed chicken?" I could hear the smile on her lips. The back of her wheelchair was facing toward us as she constantly stirred the sizzling veggies. I see her turn off the stove and slide the piping hot veggies onto a dinner bowl.

"Actually I have a present for you." he says. "Just turn around."

"Alright." she sighs. She turns her wheelchair around and stares at me. After 6 months I finally get a good look at her. Her hair is a bit out of place and she has dark circles under her eyes. Her face is thinner because her cheek bones are a little more visible.

"Ar- Artemis?" she stutters quietly.

"It's me." I whisper back. At that moment I realized Wally let go of my hand and that my eyes produced not yet fallen tears that blurred my vision.

After a moment we just looked at each other remembering all of our fights, hugs and promises over the years. For a while we only had each other until Jade came back and said she was pregnant and we let her back into the family with opened arms. Although she moved back in with Roy there wasn't a day we didn't see Lian.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Are you just going to stand there and wait for me to magically run to you?" she said with a crack voice and tears quickly falling on her lap.

I knelt before her and laid my head on her lap and started to cry. She rubbed my back soothingly and started to sing an old Vietnamese lullaby. She picked my face up and made me face her. She wiped my tears with the pad of her thumbs.

"tôi con gái xinh đẹp."* she said. I only smiled and then she called Wally over, who was currently in the kitchen picking of the hot food, for another hug. She slid her slender fingers under our chins and smiled. The all of a sudden I feel her whack me on the side of my head.

"Ow! What was that for!?" I asked. I quickly got up from my kneeling position so she would do it again.

"For lying to me!" she yelled back. "For six months I thought my youngest daughter was dead. I felt guilty for ever letting you into that group of yours! And you -" she pointed at a scared looking Wally. "You let me believe like an idiot."

Wally lowered his head muttered an apology. Then silence followed.

Silence.

"Now come eat this food before it gets cold!" she demanded. And with that she wheeled into the kitchen with Vietnamese swear words laced under her random muttering.

With her back to her cooking, Wally and I starred at each other and cracked a smile.

"One down, five billion to go." he said.

I opened my mouth to say something but a familiar angry voice interrupted me.

"Wally! Artemis! Come sit at this table so we can eat like a family!"

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** I may make this into a multi - chapter (everyone's reaction to Artemis's undercover mission) depending on the reviews I get**

**_-LadyPyra1_**


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